1. Field of the Invention
The invention is a power relay for an electric starter motor of an internal combustion engine and, in particular, a power relay which is integrated in the starter motor's housing.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
The power or starter relays used to supply electrical power to the electric motor of a starter for an internal combustion engine were initially a discrete element independent of the starter motor or the starter assembly. However, the current trend is to integrate these power relays with the starter assemblies themselves, as disclosed by Mortensen, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,002. In this electric starter, disclosed by Mortensen, the power relay is integrated with a starter solenoid used to physically displace the starter's pinion gear to engage the engine's ring gear. The present invention is a power relay integrated with an electric starter having a starter drive of the type disclosed by J. O. Williams in U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,576. This starter drive mechanism does not have a starter solenoid but has an internal electromagnetic coil which, when actuated, clamps an armature plate to engage a unidirectional clutch.